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PHILADELPHIA — This year you don’t want to miss out on Comfortech, Sept. 19 – 22, in Philadelphia! With a newly redesigned Comfortech “look,” the conference and trade show is launching into a new phase; bringing you a bigger and better event — an event for professional HVACR and plumbing contractors wanting to learn about what is disrupting their industry and giving them the advantage to stand out from their competition.
Contractors will have the opportunity to learn technical installations, sales and marketing solutions and new business opportunities all while getting credits through North American Technician Excellence (NATE) and Refrigeration Service Engineers Society (RSES).
And for the first time, Comfortech will be offering full- and half-day workshops. These Pre-Conference Workshops will take a deeper dive into topics that contractors have identified as important. Here are some highlights:
- NATE Certification Review and Testing
- The Invincible Sales Professional
- Smart Technology Evolution: Opportunity that Lies in Connected Products
- OSHA Approved Confined Spaces Training
Contractors attending the workshops will have direct interaction with topic experts like Weldon Long and Brigham Dickinson. They will leave with actionable ideas and strategies to apply immediately when they get back to work. Workshops take place Monday, Sept. 19, and Tuesday, Sept. 20.
Comfortech has partnered with NATE and RSES to offer credits for technical sessions and workshops. Whether you need them to stay current with your state requirements or are just looking to differentiate yourself from other contractors, credits enhance your value and set you apart from the competition.
There are over 50 credits available between NATE and RSES. Here is a breakdown by track:
- Management & Recruiting = 3 NATE Credits
- New Green Technology = 1.5 NATE Credits
- Sales & Marketing = 1.25 NATE Credits
- Smart Connected Homes = 1.25 NATE Credits
- Technical Light Commercial = 2.5 NATE Credits | 2 RSES Credits
- Technical Residential = NATE 6.25 NATE Credits | 5 RSES Credits
- Pre Conference Workshops = 18 NATE Credits | 13 RSES Credits
Besides taking technical sessions and workshops, attendees will hear from two exciting keynoters: Todd Buchholz and Weldon Long.
Buchholz’s lively and informative speaking engagements earned him a place in Successful Meetings Magazine’s “21 Top Speakers for the 21st Century.” His keynote “Competing in a Chaotic Economy” will connect the dots of the world economy and help contractors develop a timely vision for the economy, the financial markets and the dramatic presidential race ahead.
And attendees are in for a treat during Long’s motivational and inspirational keynote. Long built an Inc. 5000 company with over $20,000,000 in sales. He is one of the nation’s most powerful and motivational speakers — teaching others the Sales and Prosperity Mindset philosophies that catapulted him from desperation and poverty to a life of wealth and prosperity. Not only is Long keynoting Comfortech, attendees can also sign up for a workshop by him — The Invincible Sales Professional.
During this inspiring workshop, Long discusses the sales process he created to catapult himself from a homeless shelter to building a $20,000,000 company in just five years. He will share his incredible RISC sales process (Relationship, Investigate, Solution, and Conclusion).
This proprietary process leads customers down the “sales hallway” to proactively close the doors to the most common objections before they ever get brought up — "I need three bids,” “I need a cheaper price” and “I need to think about it” — This program finishes with the four most powerful words in sales, “Will you trust me?” Attendees will leave with strategies they can apply immediately to dramatically increase margins and close more business. You won’t want to miss out on this workshop! Sign up for pre-conference workshops.
Comfortech has also expanded content tracks to address new areas that are important to attendees. This year tracks are the New Green Market, Smart Connected Homes, Technical Residential and Technical Light Commercial. Contractors can attend the sales and marketing and management and recruiting sessions too! View all the sessions Comfortech is offering.
You won’t want to miss out on Mike Agugliaro’s session about the Top 5 Secret Strategies for Massive Growth in Your Contracting Business. National service business expert Agugliaro, co-owner of $28 million dollar residential service business, Gold Medal Service, and founder of business coaching business CEO Warrior, will share how he has been where most service business owners are at some point in their careers — stressed, frustrated and overwhelmed. He will show how to grow a service business with five Warrior Strategies: Marketing, Sales, Leadership, Hiring and the 3 C’s (Confidence, Consistency & Commitment). Some of the key learning objectives are: how to identify the most important action items and five strategies to help grow your service business.
Another must-attend session is High Octane Service Management, presented by Steve Coscia, the customer service industry’s foremost quoted authority. Managing a first-rate service department requires a leader who applies proven management disciplines to achieve high octane service that fires on all eight cylinders. These aforementioned disciplines include setting performance expectations, providing valuable feedback, leading effective meetings and taking corrective action — just to name a few. In the absence of courageous management, employees will gravitate towards behavior that is easiest for themselves rather than doing what is best for the company. The lead-by-example factor in service management is often overlooked as a key reason for performance issues. Attend this seminar and gain management insight, which will heighten your company’s service level.
There will also be panels about the workforce shortage and how the industry can go about recruiting talented individuals to the industry, plus networking events. At the CTECH EXTRAVAGANZA, attendees will network in an entertaining environment packed with food, drinks, music and laughs. Field House Philly is one of Philadelphia’s largest sports bars, inside the convention center.
Read more about Comfortech 2016 and sign up for the event of the year! The Comfortech staff, along with CONTRACTOR and Contracting Business, look forward to seeing you at Comfortech 2016!
Candace Roulo
Candace Roulo, senior editor of CONTRACTOR and graduate of Michigan State University’s College of Communication Arts & Sciences, has 15 years of industry experience in the media and construction industries. She covers a variety of mechanical contracting topics, from sustainable construction practices and policy issues affecting contractors to continuing education for industry professionals and the best business practices that contractors can implement to run successful businesses.